Vestry

In England the vestry carried out much of local government, including care of the poor. Virginia gave its parish vestries similar civil duties: they collected a parish levy, supported the minister, cared for the poor, apprenticed poor orphans and organized processioning of land lines.

After the Revolution the Anglican church in Virginia was disestablished, and today the vestry is the elected board of an Episcopal parish. Vestry records trace changes in local leadership, so the names of vestrymen over the years show which families ran a parish.